Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Anastasia Romanovna, the First Romanov on the Throne

The story of the first wife of Ivan the Terrible. To quote:
Two weeks after his coronation, Ivan married his first wife Anastasia Romanovna, a member of the Romanov family, who became the first Russian tsaritsa (Queen-consort). She was the daughter of nobleman (Boyar) Roman Yurievich Zakharyin-Yuriev (okolnichi of Ivan’s father,  Basil III), who died on 16 February 1543, who gave his name to the Romanov Dynasty of Russian monarchs, and his wife Uliana Ivanovna, who died in 1579.

Anastasia Romanovna was brought to the Kremlin for Ivan’s inspection along with as many as 1500 other potential brides  in accordance with old custom of Byzantine Emperors - nobles from across Russia brought their eligible daughters  and Ivan himself selected Anastasia as his preferred companion.

Anastasia was described by chronicles as a beauty of small stature, with  fine and soft features, dark eyes and  rich chestnut hair. She had a kind and mild persona, was pious and honest in character. Despite her many good  qualities many noble families didn’t approve the marriage as they considered Anastasia to be beneath the Tsar and not equal to other, far more noble lines. (Read more.)
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